1. Field of the Invention
THIS INVENTION relates to a knife sharpener.
Throughout the specification, the term xe2x80x9cknifexe2x80x9d shall include cutting devices and utensils of the type having a handle or grip; at least one cutting blade, which may be fixed, foldable or partially or wholly retractable relative to the handle or grip; the or each cutting blade having at least one cutting edge.
Examples of the cutting devices and utensils included within the term xe2x80x9cknifexe2x80x9d shall include kitchen knives, butcher""s knives, chef""s knives, sporting knives, box cutters or so-called xe2x80x9cStanleyxe2x80x9d (Trade Mark) knives, pocket knives, letter openers or bodkins, and the like.
2. Prior Art
Traditionally, knives such as butcher""s knives and chef""s knives were sharpened or honed using a honing steel and/or whetstone. However, as many people did not have the necessary skill to use such steels to produce good cutting edges on their knives, many different types of knife sharpeners have been developed over the years. While these knife sharpeners are easier to use for the average person, they generally have one or more practical limitations and so there is still a quest to develop an improved knife sharpener.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a knife sharpener, which is easy to use without the necessity for special skills and which preferably provides a cutting edge which is similar to that produced by a honing steel.
It is a preferred object of the present invention to provide such a knife sharpener, which is relatively simple to manufacture and which may be relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
It is a further preferred object of the present invention to provide a knife sharpener, which can easily be varied in specification to suit the particular knives, which it is intended to sharpen.
It is a still further preferred object to provide such a knife sharpener, which may be freestanding; or which may be incorporated into a knife scabbard or knife block, or affixed to any solid or support surface.
Other preferred objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description.
In one aspect the present invention resides in a knife sharpener including:
at least one pair of overlapping, resiliently flexible, fingers or strips mountable in and/or on a base; and
abrasive means on at least one portion of Inwardly directed, opposed, sharpening faces on the fingers or strips, operable to engage at least one cutting edge on a blade of a knife (as hereinbefore defined).
The base may be freestanding eg., to rest on a bench, or be mounted on a wall, and may be provided with a handle which preferably extends laterally to a sharpening axis of the sharpener. Alternatively, the base may include, or be incorporated in, a knife scabbard or knife block. Where the base is a knife scabbard or knife block, preferably the fingers or strips extend Into a hole, aperture, slot, or groove in the scabbard or block, or are mounted on a side of the scabbard or block.
Preferably there are two or more pairs of the resiliently flexible fingers or strips provided in the overlapping arrangement.
Preferably one of the, or each pair of fingers is formed integrally with a mounting plate or bracket mountable in or on the base; and the other of the, or each pair of fingers is formed integrally with a second plate or bracket.
Preferably the fingers or strips are offset relative to the plane of the mounting brackets or plates and are curved or angled relative thereto in side view.
The fingers or strips may be formed from resilient material including metals and their alloys; polymeric materials; composite materials; elastomeric materials and/or a combination of two or more of these and the materials may be reinforced eg., with metal fibres, plastic fibres, carbon fibres, or other suitable materials.
The abrasive means may include abrasive material and/or abrasive surfaces.
The abrasive materials may include sapphires and other hard gems, diamond dust or crushings; manufactured abrasives, including diamond-like carbon and carborundum; natural abrasives eg., stone; hard metal alloys, such as WC, CrC, VC; hard ceramics and their composites; and/or a combination of two or more of these. The selection of the particular abrasive material(s) and the grit sizes may be varied to suit the particular composition of the steels/alloys of the blades and the desired finish of the cutting edges.
The abrasive surfaces may be mechanically treated surfaces, such as grooves, knurling, random pitting or shot-blasting, or may be smooth, unmolested surfaces. The mechanically-treated surfaces may be similar to hard-chrome or hardened carbon steels, which may be coated with a hard surface (eg., hard chromed), hard or soft platings, or uncoated. Smooth surfaces are particularly suitable for fine honing of the cutting edges.